iFantastic 4
by emeralddusk
Summary: Things change...For the better, or the worse. It's only fate. Seddie
1. Chapter 1

iFantastic Four

Chapter One: Things Change

Metal ground against metal, producing flurries of sparks. Blue fire melted the cold steel, bonding it with its other half. Dim fluorescent lights flickered. Wiping a thick trickle of sweat off of her warm forehead, Carly tightened a large bolt, then looked over her blueprints. Outside, the wind blew hard, streaking over the landscape. The sun was setting, setting the sky a purple color that seemed to glow over the darkened city. Hours had slipped by without warning; faster than normal. It didn't matter, though. All that mattered was finishing the machine. It would be amazing. Her muscles aching, her back sore, and her head filled with a dull throbbing, Carly continued working. "Almost...done," she said to herself, trying to focus the nuts and bolts back into one object. Then, she tightened the final bolt, felt a great weight leave her tired body, then lay down on the cool, damp basement floor. After falling into a half-sleep state of mind, the brunette heard the door open, letting in a light. "Come on," whispered a familiar, comforting voice. "Time for bed, Carls." As Spencer picked his sister up, she gently moaned, not opening her sore and puffy eyes. The young man lay his sister in her bed, pulled the sheets over her, gently kissed her forehead, then left her to sleep. "It's gonna...be amazing," the teenager mumbled in her sleep.

The sky was a dreamy dark blue, void of most of its stars under layered clouds. However, the lights of the skyline illuminated the air. Coming in mere hours was the international science fair at Ridgeway; this could make or break Carly's future. Everything was riding on this. However, the girl was too exhausted to recollect anything in reality. Soon, the sun rose over the hillside, and Carly woke up early. "Good luck today, champ," Spencer called to his sister, handing her a breakfast bar and a juice box.

"Thanks, bro," Carly happily replied, giving her older brother a quick hug, then going into the basement to grab her invention. So many days had been spent on the Molecular Transporter device; it could revolutionize the world, paving the way for dreamers all over Earth. Freddie's mom had arranged to give the girl a ride to school with Freddie. Sam would meet them at the expo (not that she cared about science). "Thanks for driving us, Ms. Benson," Carly said, looking away from her machine.

"Anytime, sweetheart," Matilda replied, looking into her rear view window. "I'm always happy to help out Freddie's friends."

"Ready to take home first prize?" Freddie asked.

"I doubt I'll actually win," the brunette humbly replied, lovingly holding her machine. "I just hope I make a difference."

When the blue station wagon arrived at Ridgeway, the morning's air had grown warm, and only faint streaks of pink remained from the sunrise. Carly and Freddie bit farewell to Freddie's mother, then went to the Science Wing, a section of the school devoted entirely to the International Science Fairs. The most intelligent and dilligant young minds had gathered from around the world for this amazing occasion. Roughly half of the contestants were teenagers (boys and girls), about a quarter were child prodigies, and the final quarter were young adults. Everyone was distinct; a black-haired Asian girl with pink streaks, an African American boy with blond hair and a scratch on his upper lip, a Caucasian girl with a bandanna and a baseball cap covering her hairless head, a Brazilian boy hiding tears while pretending to look over his work. Thousands were vigorously working to better their inventions, some doing last-minute checks.

"Hey, guys," Sam greeted, running next to Carly and Freddie. "I mean girls." Freddie ignored the comment.

"Hey," Carly replied, overlooking Sam's diss on the boy. "I made some upgrades last night. This puppy is good to go." The brunette hooked her invention into a large metallic base she'd built about a week earlier, then tightened some bolts that bonded the two. "Alright," she whispered.

"So when's the judging?" Freddie asked, admiring the cold steel exterior of his friend's machine; the burning energy he heard flowing inside of it.

"A couple hours," the brunette answered, straightening out her notes and statistics. "I'm gonna stay here until the judges show up, but you two can go if you want."

"Nah, I don't have anywhere to go," Sam answered, not meaning to be rude. "You worked really hard on this...I know you're gonna win."

"Thanks, Sam," Carly happily said. "But there's way better inventions here." In the distance, someone tried to plug a light bulb into a potato, only to stab through the spud, and throw down the equipment in a flash of rage.

Nevel watched Carly from behind an electric converting machine. The blue streams of energy coursed in front of him, distorting the reflection of his face to grotesque lengths. Even after everything they'd done to one another, Carly was still the only one the boy had come close to loving. She was so sweet, so smart, so beautiful. Clenching his fists, Nevel felt his blood run over with jealous hatred. Only one solution remained; he would crush Carly with his invention, leaving her to hate no one but herself.

Hours passed by, but the girl remained by her machine, hoping it would make a difference. It had to... Suddenly, something blocked Carly's eyes. "Guess who?" asked a familiar voice.

"Spencer," Carly giggled, extremely happy to have her brother here. Pulling away, the girl turned around. "I thought you were busy today."  
>"Never too busy for my little sister," the young man gladly explained. "Especially on your big day."<p>

"Thank you," Carly said in almost a whisper. "I'm almost up. Wish me luck, you guys."

"Kick some," Sam said, sounding supportive.

"You're gonna be great, Carly," Freddie added.

"Miss Carly Shay," greeted a man in his late forties with brown hair and balding around the crown. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, sir," the brunette answered. "This is the Molecular Transporter device...As its name indicates, it will teleport any matter to another location... Within a five mile radius for now." Carly set a rock on top of a platform atop her machine. "Please step back." With that, everyone walked back a little. Pressing a button on a hand held device, the brunette activated the teleportation device; a beam of blue and white light beamed down on the small piece of granite, and it soon vanished. "With this radar device, I will be able to track its movement..." The detector showed the rock appearing just outside of the school, surrounded by a waving aura.

"Remarkable," the judge exclaimed, taken back. "This invention could revolutionize the system of traveling and transporting materials... Has it ever been used on humans?"

"Not yet," Carly answered. "Only inanimate objects. Once, I even managed to transport a burning piece of wood without extinguishing the flame."

"Amazing," the judge said under his breath. "So there's no period during the teleportation progress without oxygen... Ms. Shay, I can honestly say this is one of the most impressive inventions I have ever seen."

Carly felt her entire body warm over with modest satisfaction; she had done it, she was victorious in her quest. From a small distance, Nevel scowled until his face began to ache. Suddenly, a shard of metal hit the floor; no larger than a pin. Hearing the sound, Carly glanced down, then saw electricity surging through her invention. "Get away!" she hollered, terrified. The judge lunged backwards, but Sam, Freddie, and Spencer didn't dare abandon Carly. Nevel continued to watch, drinking in his rival's failure like alcohol. A large blast of energy flared out from the machine, swallowing Carly, Spencer, Sam, and Freddie. Nevel felt a jolt inside his body, throwing him onto the ground.

Freddie saw fire burning in his eyes, then felt his body become extremely hot all over. Sam shut her eyes as the white belt coursed over her, and felt herself fade away. In a way, it was terrifying, but it also felt like art. Spencer felt his entire body seize up, making any movement next to impossible; it was like when he'd wake up to find his arm numb and buried under the weight of his body. Carly leaned as far back as her body allowed, and saw a vision of the piece of rubber she'd experimented on the first run of the Molecular Transporter; it twisted, curved, flowed, and tangled into an infinite loop. The energy field was burning hot, yet subzero and flowing like the Arctic Sea. The electric conversion machine shattered near Nevel, causing his body to numb over, dulling every nerve ending in his body; it burned so intensely.

_Revolutionize...Amazing...The surges of energy flashed viciously._ Carly shot up in the sterile white hospital bed. Her breath was sharp and heavy, her forehead coated in sweat, and her hair wet and tasseled. An unfamiliar hand touched her shoulder. "Please, please calm down," a female nurse tried to comfort the girl. "It's okay. Just relax." Finally, Carly lay down on her pillow, too tired to fight anymore.

"What happened?" the teenager moaned, seeing everything in a blur.

"There was an accident at your school," the nurse answered, pulling a needle out of her pocket. "You're gonna be okay, but you need to hold still right now, okay?" Carly nodded, and watched the woman puncture the top of a plastic tube filled with purple fluid. Sucking in the liquid, the nurse flicked the tip of the needle, knocking some excess medication off, then slid it into a vein in Carly's median cubital vein. "This might sting for a little bit." The woman's voice was calm.

Feeling the stab, Carly tightly shut her eyes, not being able to help thinking of exactly what was happening; a razor-sharp stick of metal pushing medicine into her vein along with the naturally flowing blood. "Oh," the girl groaned. "What's wrong with me?" Some time faded by in silence.

"There was a malfunction on your Molecular Transporter device," an African-American female doctor explained. "It seems to have released radiation into the air. We did some tests, and none of you have cancer or radiation poisoning...We're still gonna have to keep you here for a while, though. I'm sorry."

Maybe no one was around, maybe there was a thousand different people studying her every movement. "I messed up," she whispered. "I've put everyone in danger." The next day, a male nurse walked into the room while reading over his clipboard, and was shocked.

"What are you doing?" the young man demanded, a hint of anger and shear disbelief in his voice.

Carly was studying over her own test results, the IV still attached to her arm, and she was still in her white hospital gown. "I'm the one who built the machine," she began to explain, her voice hoarse. "This is my fault...If anything happens to my friends..."

"Your friends are fine," the man assured the patient. "Get into bed, please. You could get thrown in prison for doing this kind of stuff."

"I doubt that," Carly replied, her tone growing light. "...Can I go see them?"

"Maybe tomorrow," the nurse answered. "We need to make sure you're stable, Miss...Shay."

"Alright," the brunette replied, not that she really had a say in what happened.

That night, Sam lay in her hospital bed, still unconscious from the event. Her hair was course, her breath quiet, and her pulse at a slightly delayed rate. Her movements were gentle and infrequent. Suddenly, the teenager found herself standing in a dark area, not knowing any physical aspect of her location. "Hello?" she called, only to be met with her echo. "Carly?...Spencer? Freddork?" Sam let out a quick chuckle, if only to help herself feel like she was in control of anything. Walking forward, the blond looked around, seeing nothing. "Anybody?" she called, growing weak. In any situation, she could fight or joke her way out; that was who she was. Not now, though. She was defenseless; helpless. Like a little girl separated from her mother in the park. Looking down at herself, Sam saw her body fading away. She screamed, feeling something was swallowing her. _Doctor! Her pulse is racing! Pulse is taking a jolt._ Sam swiped at herself, desperate to find any clue that she still existed. Letting out a shriek, the teenager looked around as her body faded, allowing darkness to creep up to her neck.

"No! No!" Sam hollered, shooting up in her bed. A man and a woman doctor grabbed her shoulders, trying to hold her down.

"Please relax," the man begged, obviously afraid. "Everything's alright."

Throwing off her sheets, Sam looked at her white gown, and saw her lightly tan legs. "Okay," she whispered during a loud exhale. "Okay...I'm okay." Laying back down, the girl slowly became stable. "What happened?"

"I can't move," Spencer moaned, his eyes closed. "I feel I'm under a boulder." The young man's breath was extremely heavy, and his movements were slow and labored.

"Just hold still," one of the doctors said, gently pressing down on Spencer's shoulder. "There were no injuries to your spine. You're still probably going through shock. You'll be fine in a matter of hours."

"Okay," Spencer gasped out, feeling his eyes grow heavy. Shutting his eyes, the young man soon fell into sleep.

Freddie lay under the sheets of his sterile hospital bed, feeling hundreds of beads of sweat trickle down his hot forehead. "I'm dying," the teenager whispered as a female nurse sponged us his sopping wet brow.

"You're going to be fine," the woman assured the brunette. "Now hold still. This will help stabalize your body temperature."

Freddie closed his eyes, breathing frantically, and nodded. A dull stinging sensation flashed in his right arm, which soon faded into a cool ease all over his body. With a sigh of relief, Freddie relaxed his shoulders, and turned his head to the side. "Thank you," he whispered, not opening his cool eyes.

"There was an accident," the woman said; maybe to another employee, or maybe to him. "It seems to have caused a major spike in body temperature. It's down to about one hundred and four now, but there doesn't seem to be any brain damage or organ issues. All things considered, it's a miracle."

"What happened to me?" demanded a teenage boy with a high-pitched voice, staring up at the ceiling.

"There was an accident at your school science fair," the Asian female doctor answered. "You were cut by some shards of glass from an...electricity manipulating device. You should be glad you didn't get electrocuted."

"Are the cuts severe?" asked the boy.

"No, just some superficial scrapes on your face and a slice to the chest that will require a bandage for a month or so," the woman answered, looking over some test results. "We still need to examine the radiation levels of your body, but you seem fine."

"Thank you," the teenager said, taking a silent breath of relief. "My name's Nevel Papperman, by the way."

"These five are genetic miracles," exclaimed an older doctor with black-gray hair with a receating line. "Their bodies have obsorbed nearly a solid pound of radiation, but there's nothing cancerous in their bodies. The worst that's happened is the oldest one going in shock for a time. We'll have to study them further."

The following day, Carly, Sam, Freddie, and Spencer finally met up with one another. Nevel, however, chose to stay alone in his room. Carly gave Spencer a hug, deeply loving seeing the familiar faces of her friends and family. The two separated, and Carly wrapped her arms around Sam. "I missed you guys," she said as she warmly embraced Freddie, who closed his eyes, let a sigh out, and enjoyed the brief intimacy. "I'm so sorry."

"Carly, it's not your fault," Spencer replied, knowing how Carly waged war on herself for the littlest things. "No one could've seen that coming."

"Yeah, what if Fredbag had made the invention?" Sam added, her usual sass showing. "We'd all be dead...or turned into nerds or something."

"Good one," Freddie swallowed, not wanting to start a confrontation in front of his newly-recovered friends. "Everyone's okay?"

"Yeah," everyone answered, even as Spencer struggled to stand. "Thanks, man," the young man added.

"We're gonna have some more tests tomorrow," Carly added, obviously kind of down about it. "But we have all day to catch up."

The four friends sat down on some red chairs and a small couch in a lounge in the center of the hospital, and began talking. iCarly came up, and everyone seemed eager to get back to it. Everything that they used to do felt like heaven now; Groovy Smoothie, spaghetti tacos, and even Ridgeway felt inviting.

"I wonder what Gibby's been up to," Sam said, slunking back into the couch.

"No clue," Carly answered, growing tired after roughly two hours of talking. "You know, I wish I could take all this back...but I'm glad it's the four of us together."

"Same here," Freddie replied, letting his eyes shut.

Soon, the group had all fallen asleep, and several nurses arrived, and gently carried them back to their rooms.


	2. Chapter 2

iFantastic 4

Chapter Two: Doom

"Okay, just one more sample," a female nurse said, her voice gentle. Carly nodded, and looked away from the needle. Upon injecting the teenager's arm, the woman noticed something; her flesh wasn't easily accepting the shot; it was almost bending in the direction of the needle. "My gosh," the nurse whispered, feeling her heart rate spike.

"Is everything okay?" Carly asked, growing nervous.

"...No, sweetie," the woman lied, not wanting to scare the child. "Just having more trouble than usual finding a vein. I just over react some times." Carly closed her eyes, nodded, and waited for the stinging feeling. Finally, the nurse managed to get some blood, then watched as the girl's wound seemed to heal itself within seconds. Another concern existed; Carly had been going long periods of time without urinating, and wasn't complaining of bladder discomfort. According to the results, her organs were extremely healthy, which confused every specialist.

"Feel better today?" a woman doctor asked Freddie, taking a thermometer out of the boy's mouth. "Ah, you're temperature seems to have gone down more. You'll be out of here in no time."

"Cool," Freddie replied, his eyes still tired. "My name's Freddie by the way." The teenager tried to hide the smile forming on his face; the doctor was so hot in his eyes.

With a quiet chuckle, the woman rubbed the boy's hair, then walked out wearing a smile on her face. Freddie felt his neck grow hot; uncomfortably hot and without any form of perspiration to cool it. "Ah," he moaned, struggling to get out from under the broiling sheets trapping his body.

Jumping onto the floor, the teenager ran over to his personal bathroom, and splashed cold water on his face. With his eyes closed, Freddie could swear he could hear sizzling coming off of his skin. "Oh man," he whispered. "What's wrong with me?"

Later that day, Carly, Freddie, and Sam were sitting at a table in the dining room. An entire day had gone by in solitude for everyone (with the exception of doctor and nurse visits). "I don't even feel sore," Carly said, showing her nearly unmarked arm.

"Wish I could feel the same," Sam replied, rubbing her arm, which she couldn't move anymore.

"She's the one," a male nurse whispered to a doctor. "Every time I took a blood sample from her, it disappeared within seconds."

"That's impossible," the doctor replied, growing shocked.

"That fever hasn't broken yet," Freddie said, not meaning to sound self-centered. "I'm dying."

"I really hope you're not lying," Sam replied, wanting to lighten the mood. "Oh hey, where's Spencer?"

"Said he wasn't feeling well," Carly answered, sounding concerned. "Wanted to be alone. I really hope he's not sick."

"The doctors all said we're fine," Freddie tried to comfort his friend. "He might just be weak from his medicine."

"I hope so," Carly replied, not seeming to take much solace.

Meanwhile, the doctors woke up Spencer, who was still groggy after an entire day in bed. "Feeling any better?" asked one of the men.

"Not really," Spencer answered.

"I noticed your weight's been going up," a dark-haire doctor added, looking over some statistics. "Which is very strange, since you haven't been eating."

"Do you think the radiation messed up my metabolism?" the young man asked, growing upset.

"Not according to our tests," a doctor replied. "However, it has been very difficult drawing blood from you. Your skin seems to be growing callous."

"What do you think that thing did to us?" Sam asked, looking at Freddie. "I've been having crazy dreams."

"Like what?" Carly asked.

"I'm like...disappearing," Sam answered, closing her eyes to recall the visions. "It's really creepy."

"My gosh," Freddie exclaimed. Sam kept her eyes closed, feeling like she was slipping away. "Sam, you're disappearing!"

The blond girl's eyes shot open, only to stare down at nothing. With a terrified scream, Sam began grabbing at her arms, desperate to find anything solid. "What's happening?" she hollered, her tone high and fearful. Nothing was in sight except her clothing.

Freddie stared at what was visible of his friend, growing more confused and alarmed by the second. "Stop staring at my boobs and help me!" Sam yelled, growing violent.

"I'm sorry, all I can see is your shirt," Freddie shot back, his tone becoming frantic, though he didn't notice. "Ah! Why is it so hot in here?" The boy quickly threw off his jacket, letting it fall to the floor. At the same time, Sam continued desperately looking around, her horror refusing to relent.

"Sam!" Carly shrieked, wanting everything to freeze. The brunette threw her hand out to grab her friend's shoulder, only to wind up pushing her farther than she could reach.

The blond held still, shocked by what Carly did to her, then saw how far her arm had stretched. "Whoa," Sam said, her shocked tone almost in a whisper. Scared of herself, Carly shot her arm back, letting it return to its normal length.

"W-what's wrong with me?" the brunette asked herself, feeling her arms go numb with fear. "What was that?"

"It's like you're made of rubber," Freddie replied, baffled. Despite his distraction, the boy still felt like he was in a sauna.

The doctors ran over to the group, and tried to calm them. "Please, Sam," said an African American woman, putting her hand on the blond's shoulder. "Just relax. Okay?" Sam nodded, her breath heavy. "No focus on me...Take slow, deep breaths." Sam listened, keeping her view on the woman. Soon, her flesh turned visible again, returning her to a stable state of mind.

Freddie felt his body flare in its temperature, then ran towards the bathroom. A male doctor followed him, making sure nothing happened to him. Once the boy entered the men's room, he splashed icy water all over his burning face and hair, again hearing a sizzling sound. Suddenly, his body burst into flames, causing him to scream in terror; his features were still normal, even his facial expressions were explicitly seen in the glass of the mirror. However, his entire form seemed to be red and coursing with fire, encased in a blazing aura.

"My word," the doctor exclaimed in a whisper. Freddie turned around, horrified.

"What's happening to me?" Freddie asked. "I'm on fire!"

"But your body seems to be feeding it," the doctor replied, amazed. "There's nothing wrong with you." The boy looked at his hands, which were glowing with red and yellow flames. Beneath him, the floor tiles were beginning to melt and mold into flowing shapes. "Try to control yourself...The flames seem to be...organic. Just calm down, and the flames should extinguish themselves."

Freddie let out a deep breath, let his shoulders drop, then felt his body start to cool down. At last, relief from his burning! "I feel better," the boy said, keeping his eyes closed. "Is the fire gone?"

"Yeah, yeah it is," the doctor answered.

Finally, the three were all calmed, and returned to the dining room. "What was that?" Carly asked, still kind of freaked.

"It must've been the radiation," Freddie answered.

"I hope Spencer's okay," Sam added, growing nervous, her tone grave and sad. "He got hit really hard."

Meanwhile, Spencer rolled around in his bed, his movements growing violent, and his breath relentless. The weight on his digital scale spiked, growing higher by the second. His skin grew more and more dense; his bones grew thicker and stronger; his organs hardened and began to change. His skin soon began to change in property, becoming hard and highly textured; turning to brown granite. Finally, the bed gave way under the great weight.

"Spencer!" Carly called, pounding on the door frantically. "Spencer, are you okay?"

"Spencer, something happened to all of us!" Sam added. "You have to let us see you!"

"I'm not coming out!" called back a gruff voice that resembled Spencer's.

"It's okay," Freddie called back. "We all went through a change. Whatever's happened, it's okay!"

"...Spencer, please," Carly begged.

Finally, the door to Spencer's room opened, and Carly, Sam, and Freddie were all horrified, though they hid their feelings with all their strength. A larger, muscular creature standing about Spencer's height walked out. His footsteps were slow but heavy, and his entire body was made of rock. An aura of sadness flowed into the air as the monster looked forward with shamed, saddened eyes.

"My gosh," Carly whispered, devastated by what she'd done to her beloved brother. The girl walked forward, and wrapped her arms around Spencer, crying into his cold, hard shoulder. It wasn't the same anymore; it was a pretty girl holding a monster.

Spencer gently touched his sister's back, closing his eyes to let in her love. She would be the only one who would tolerate his hideousness. Freddie and Sam joined Carly, feeling Spencer's pain. A warm tear slid out of the young man's eye, going down his cheek like a raindrop on a rock in the middle of an ocean.

"I am so sorry," Carly cried, her voice reduced to an agonized whisper. "I'm so sorry." Spencer held her tighter, holding himself back for her own safety.

The doctors dropped their heads, shamed that there was nothing they could do for any of the kids. No matter what they said, it was clear they didn't accept these mutations, and neither would the world around them.

Meanwhile, Nevel looked in the mirror, noticing his scratches growing deeper and more red. Gently stroking down his cheek, the boy grew horrified and self-pitied. His beauty was the only thing he had left, and even that was fading. Suddenly, he felt his eyes burning, and looked up to see them glowing with horrid white light.

"Excuse me, Mister Papperman," said a male nurse as he walked into the room with a clipboard. Nevel shot his head back, showing his menacing yet terrified eyes and his growing scars.

"What's wrong with me?" the boy demanded, his fear raging in his voice. The man screamed at what he saw, and the fury of the boy. "Get out!" the brilliant teenager commanded, throwing his semi-mutilated hand outward. The doctor ran out of the room, no longer able to handle his job. Depressed and mortified by the monster he was becoming, Nevel looked at his bedside window, took in a deep breath, and jumped out, shattering the glass all around him.

"I love you, Spencer," Carly said, not opening her eyes and refusing to let go of her brother.

"I love you too," Spencer replied, feeling a painful lump swell up in his throat. Sam swallowed hard, trying not to show the tears she wept for her "father". Freddie felt all the pain his close friend was going through. Nothing could be worse than being a monster, he caught himself thinking.

Recovering from the shock of his collision, Nevel slowly dredged his worn and ravaged body upward, looking at the dark sky above him. With great labor, the teenager stumbled forward, seeing nothing but desert ground all around him. "I'm a monster," he whispered, his fury growing within his cold body. "A freak, an outcast...I'm doomed to this horror forever...All because of her! I'm an animal because of her!" His arms grew hot, causing an unrelenting burning to spread throughout his bones. Screaming in agony as his flesh flared, Nevel fell to his knees, clenching his wrist in desperation. With trembling, horrified hands, the boy reached towards his scarred flesh, and began to peel it back, removing the flesh that hurt him so badly. A tear formed in the boy's eye as he watched the gore go back, revealing his bones, which were growing darker and metallic. Nevel hollered with all his might, disgusted by everything he was. This was a living nightmare; fear without end. The green hospital gown he'd been given was growing darker as dust collected on it, but he wrapped it around his aching body. For roughly an hour, he lay still in the sand, clenching his throbbing shoulders. Suddenly, an icy wind blew over him, chilling every fiber of his being.

Looking upward, Nevel saw a horrifying funnel cloud form in the dark sky above him. Frozen with terror, the boy watched as an orange, cloud-like being materialized. It resembled cosmic gases, but molded into the form of a humanoid head; its mighty, fearsome head was crowned with a large helmet with massive, curved rectangular spikes. Everything about the being was a work of horror, and the raging clouds around him added an apocalyptic dread to everything. Nevel tried to stand up, facing down the monster, even though he knew his life would soon end before this fantastic entity. "I...am Galactus," declared a gruff, booming voice coming from the cosmic being. "Consumer of worlds." Energy coursed upward through the air, electrocuting everything in its path. The teenager tried to move, but was assaulted with thousands of volts, nearly melting his now-metal bones. Soon, all of the energy began to flow into Nevel, feeding an unfathomable void within his monstrous body. A smile forming on its face, the being known as Galactus allowed himself to fade for now, knowing what was in store for this unwitting planet.

Screaming in agony, Nevel collapsed on the ground, and tried to crawl away. _Ancient legends tell of a warrior of darkness. He slayed to exist, and enjoyed watching each victim suffer and die. The face of this horror struck fear into countless hearts; his cold steel mask, forged by the servants who worshiped him in medieval Japan, was a source of hatred and power for the warrior. In the end, though, he became his own undoing; he killed himself so that no one would ever posses his power. All that remained was his mask._ Nevel grabbed the cold steel face out of the hands of the timid man holding it. Slowly, the boy raised it to his scarred and metal-laced face, then opened his eyes, letting the primitive nomads fear his horrific visage. Clenching his fists, the teenager assaulted the air with pure electricity. "That thing did something," Nevel declared, his voice gruff and confident. "Now,...I can get my revenge on the one who did this to me...The one who brought Doom into this world!" Lightning flashed in the sky, letting the Latverians gaze and cheer at their horrific leader's words.

Carly sat in a chair, clad in a white robe. "So, what am I exactly?" she asked, her voice still breaking.

"According to our tests and observations," the woman doctor asked. "Your body has become...almost like rubber. As have your bones and organs."

"...That's not as bad as what happened to my brother," Carly added, depressed and disgusted with herself.

"Your body seems to be able to disappear," announced a male doctor. "Everything except your density and weight can fade."

"My gosh," Sam whispered, looking down at her hand.

"Sam," added the doctor, trying to comfort the girl. The man reached for Sam's hand.

"No, please," the girl replied, growing uneasy.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," the man persisted, desperate to keep Sam stable.

"I said no!" Sam screamed, tightly shutting her eyes, and producing a blast of invisible energy that shot the doctor back into a wall. Shocked, Sam looked down at herself. Her hands began to tremble. "What's happening to me?"

The doctor stood up, stared at the girl for a second, then departed. Meanwhile, Freddie sat alone in his room, resting in his window sill. The moon was bright and full, but everything about the boy's mind and spirit was dark. Any emotion could trigger another fire.

Later that night, Carly and Spencer finally got together in the girl's room. Depressed, the rock creature sat in a reinforced chair, staring at the stars. Carly was reading a book by the dim light of a lamp. "Oh, I need my glasses," she complained, growing upset. Tensing her eyes, the teenager found the blurry letters sharpen. "Huh," she exclaimed, noticing how much easier it was to see. Then, it became clear: she'd stretched the lenses of her eyes, eliminating her condition. "No more astigmatism," she said, sounding more upbeat.

"Sweet," Spencer replied, his voice lacking its normal ambition.

"...I am so sorry for what I did to you," Carly said, her voice breaking up. "And I promise...no matter how long it takes...I will find a way to help you... To help all of us." The brunette kissed her brother on his rough head.


	3. Chapter 3

iFantastic 4

Chapter Three: Fantastic Destiny

_We have these powers; we're not normal...there's nothing we can do about it now. It's still my fault, though. I've taken every opportunity I could to find a cure. Spencer deserves to wake up with his own face._

"Carly...Carly," said a calm, gentle, familiar voice. Carly felt someone shaking her, then raised her head up, ending her dream. Imprints of the keyboard of her computer remained on her face for a second, then faded.

"...What's up?" Carly asked, sounding sweet yet groggy.

"You were up all night," Sam answered. "You really need to take a break. Come on, we're all learning how to control our powers."

"Control?" the brunette replied, confused.

"Yeah, I'm getting pretty good with turning invisible," Sam added. "And watch this..." The blond stuck her hand out, focusing on a pencil on the desk in front of Carly. Suddenly, the pencil began to float, distorting its image once or twice.

"Whoa," Carly said, amazed. "How did you..."

"Invisible force fields," Sam answered. "It's awesome, don't you think? Come on, let's see what you can do with your powers." The girl grabbed her friend's arm, and tried to pull her out the door, only to pull on a stretching rubber arm. "Weird," Sam jokingly said, before flopping Carly's arm up and down like a jump rope.

"Stop it!" Carly yelled, obviously not amused. "I have work to do...Spencer's a monster because of me." With that, the brunette turned back to her microscope.

"It's not your fault," Sam replied. "Spencer will forgive you...he doesn't care what he looks like."

"He doesn't wanna be a monster, though," Carly argued. "No one's gonna wanna be around him! No one's gonna understand him. No one's gonna understand any of us!"

"...You know what?" Sam replied, her anger lacing over her voice. "We are freaks!...And it's all your fault!" Carly sat still, not looking at her friend. "Freddie's a living match, I'm like some stupid horror character, Spencer's a walking rock, and you're a big piece of elastic! Whatter you gonna do about it?"

"Stop it," Carly growled, trying to control herself.

"Why should I?" Sam screamed. "How can you possibly defend yourself?"

"I didn't mean to do this!" Carly hollered, her rage quaking in her voice. "I wanted to make things better for the world!" Something felt wrong, but she couldn't control herself anymore. "And I don't need you telling me I screwed up!"

"So do something," Sam retorted. Suddenly, Carly snapped out her elastic hand, smacking Sam, and thrusting her into a wall. "...Is that all?" the blond yelled back.

Carly scowled until her face started to hurt, then charged forward. Sam forced her energy forward, projecting a force field out at the brunette, blasting her into the wall. The blond walked forward, only to be knocked onto her back by Carly's outstretched leg in a ground kick form. Sam faded from sight, and ran at her friend. Growing scared and paranoid, Carly stretched out both of her arms to the sides, and quickly twisted her waist around, creating a propeller, which smacked Sam through the door, shattering it. Enraged, the rubber teenager lunged forward, and wrestled Sam down the stairs. Finally, they rolled into Freddie and Spencer. The rock man pulled his sister off her friend, and gently sat her on the floor.

"Good job, Samantha," one of the doctors said. "You finally got her out of her room."

"Sorry about that, Carls," Sam said, her breath heavy. "But you have an amazing hold on your powers."

"So all that was just to get me to come downstairs?" Carly snapped, feeling her face turn red.

"And to get you to stop beating yourself up," Sam added, her voice returned to its calm, friendly state. "I'm really sorry about all that."

"...Sorry I wiped the floor with you," Carly lovingly replied.

"See, Carls," Spencer said in a calmed voice. "These powers can be amazing. It's not your fault...and we can change the world."

The brunette wrapped her arms around her brother. "You don't hate me?" she asked, barely able to keep her voice straight.

"I could never hate you," Spencer warmly answered. "You're my sister...and I love you." Carly tried to hide her tears.

"Thank you," the girl whispered, feeling her brother's rocky back.

Freddie walked kind of close to Sam, watching the touching brother-sister scene. "...You did it," he said.

Sam turned around, caught off guard. "...Yeah I did," she replied. "...Thanks." Freddie felt touched inside. "Try not to set the place on fire," Sam jokingly added, sensing Freddie's romantic interest.

"Okay, can you disappear?" a doctor asked of Sam.

"I don't think I can," Sam answered, knowing she couldn't control her new powers. "It just...it happens out of no where...and I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what?" the woman lovingly persisted.

"I'm afraid I'll never...come back," the blond girl answered, obviously growing upset.

"I know that won't happen," the doctor comforted the teen. "Now...do you remember any emotions you felt when you disappeared the first time?"

"...I felt...like I couldn't control anything," Sam answered. "I guess I just...wanted it."

Carly watched the interviews that Sam went through to gain control of her powers, and took notes of her comments.

"Focus your mind, focus your mind," the doctor insisted, watching Freddie from outside a fire-proof barrier.

"Okay," Freddie replied, almost in a whisper. Clad in only what looked like spandex posing trunks, the boy closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and began to envision himself surrounded by fire. "Come on," he whispered, his voice tense and trembling with determination. "Come on...Gotta...Flame On!" Suddenly, the boy's body burst into flames. Looking at himself, Freddie felt amazed. "I did it!"

"Alright," the doctor applauded. "Can you alter the intensity of your flames?"

"I can try," the brunette called back, focusing his emotions. Suddenly, the fire grew larger around him. Studying a thermal temperature device, the man saw the numbers spike.

"Okay, try to bring it down!" the man called to Freddie.

"Nah, I can go stronger!" the teenager replied, continuing to pour his energy into his flames. Soon, the burning aura took on a blue hue, causing the walls to begin to melt. Feeling lighter than air, Freddie let his weight go, and found himself floating.

"...My gosh," the doctor said, taken back by the inspiring sight before him; Freddie was creating streams of fire, causing them to float around his nearly cosmic-looking body. "...It's too much heat, you have to stop!"

Freddie let go, lost his aura, and fell hard on his back, completely exhausted. His breath heavy, the boy stared up at the ceiling, which was still distorted by heat. "Oh man," he whispered. "That was...that was too much."

Carly wrote down more notes, barely looking away from the screen.

"Alright," a doctor said, sounding like a wrestling coach. "Run at me...Fast as you can." Since the man was clad in an armor suit, Spencer was assured he didn't have to hold back.

Still adjusting to the new weight, the young man charged forward, going at a slow pace, but showing fury. Spencer rammed into the man, knocking him on his back. "Nice one, Spence," he said. "Can you go faster next time?" The tape cut to another session; Spencer charged forward, back to his old, energetic stride, and rammed the doctor into a wall. "Yeah!" the man yelled. "That's what I'm talkin' about! Faster!" Finally, Spencer charged like a gazelle racing to the last drop of water in the lake. His granite joints ground against one another, the floor shook, but his eyes stayed locked on the target. With a loud slam, the doctor was pushed through the air, shattering a window, and landing on his back.

Spencer dropped his jaw. _What've I done? _he asked himself. However, the doctor raised his thumb, showing he was okay. Feeling relief, the young man dropped his shoulders.

"Catch every object we shoot in the air," the nurse instructed Carly. "Ready?"

"Um, I don't know if..." Carly began to answer, only to have the plates be flung above her. Acting quickly, the teenager stretched out her arms, grabbing two silver pieces of China (one in each hand). However, two got by her, and shattered against the wall. Suddenly, five more plates shot out. Carly shot herself back, causing her back to fold backwards ninety degrees. Stretching her arms and hands, the girl caught four of the five plates. "Oh my gosh," she exclaimed.

"Nice work," the woman called, a hint of humor in her voice. "Let's try to get more next time...Gonna have to eat dinner over the sink again."

Carly let her arms drop, leaving two long noodles holding at least two large plates in each hand.

"How you taking to your powers?" Carly asked Sam before taking a sip of orange juice.

"Great," Sam answered. "Kicking butt."

"It's...Fantastic," Freddie exclaimed.

"You said it," Spencer added. "I feel great."

"Really?" Carly asked, feeling lightened inside. Everyone nodded. "Thanks, guys." The four smiled at one another, then returned to their breakfast.

Meanwhile, Nevel sat alone, having returned to his home. His rage festered inside of him like parasites eating away at his organs. _I've lost everything, _he told himself, gazing at his hideous, scarred face in the mirror. "She took everything." The boy stood up, causing energy to distort the surroundings in his room. "And now...I'm finally taking a stand." Nevel threw his hand down, smashing a computer with iCarly on its screen. With grave intensity, the teenager dawned his mask, and glared at the city around him. "...Time to see how my friends are doing."

"Okay, I was studying over our training sessions," Carly said, looking at her friends. "And I noticed...when Freddie starts on fire,...his clothes melt off."

"You saw that?" Freddie asked, growing embarrassed.

"Sam's stay visible, giving her away most of the time," Carly continued. "Mine can't stretch when I do...and Spencer...Well, you know."

"Yeah," Spencer lightly responded, knowing she was referring to his bulky build.

"So...I did some experimenting...and I developed these," Carly concluded, pulling out four blue uniforms.

"Nice," Sam said, admiring the one with an S sewn on the inside of its collar. "But...they look kinda...blank."

"I know," Carly admitted. "What do you want, though? A logo or something?"

"That might be cool," Freddie replied.

"Yeah, like...the mutations," Spencer suggested.

"Or...the Fantastic Few," Sam added.

"Sound too campy," Carly replied. "How 'bout...The Fantastic Four?"

"That sounds good," Spencer said, feeling a click.

"I like it," Sam agreed.

"Same here," Freddie said. "What about names?"

"Why?" Sam retorted. "Everybody knows it's us. It was all over the news."

"Good point," the boy said.

Spencer stepped into the pant part of his uniform, which fit snugly over his rocky legs. Sam pulled on her blue glove, then clenched her fist. Freddie snapped the bands of his collar around his neck. Carly threw her hair out with her blue glove-dressed hands, then looked down at the white circle on the left side of her chest, which contained a blue, sideways 4. Spencer pulled down on an Italian t-shirt-like top half of his uniform, which bore a large "4" logo in the center. Sam faded away, becoming completely invisible. Freddie surrounded his fist in a ball of fire, not phasing the glove in the least. Spencer tugged on the chest part of his suit, and found it was extremely durable. Carly stretched her arm to reach a book on the shelf, not tearing her sleeve or even wearing on it. "Fantastic Four..." Sam called out. "...Here we are."

"Your DNA seems to be stable," one of the doctors said, looking over some test results. "You're free to go with a clean bill of health...Are you sure about this, though?"

The four looked at one another, and shared the same thought. "...Yeah," Carly answered, her voice deathly serious.

Nevel watched the four through a fish-eye lense on one of the microbots he designed. The strange machine floated in the room, out of sight of any of the teenagers or doctors. Fortunately for the evil genius, he had left one of the bugs behind at the hospital. "So...they've all changed," he said to himself, growing envious of Freddie for maintaining his looks. However, Spencer, obviously, wasn't so lucky. "Interesting..." Entering a command on his keyboard, Nevel ordered one of the microbots to snap a photo of the rock-human. A wicked smile crept onto the teenager's face, and his dark mind formulated a twisted idea.

Carly, Sam, Spencer, and Freddie walked out of the hospital, clad in their uniforms. The sun was bright and hot above them, and the wind was at their backs. "Fantastic Four!" Sam called out, throwing her fist into the air. "Let's move!"


	4. Chapter 4

Dedicated to Jack Kirby. Keep dreaming up there, old friend.

iFantastic 4

Chapter 4: More Than We Were

Spencer stepped on his gas pedal, only to smash it under his large foot. "Nerts," the young man replied, obviously irritated beyond the point of caring. Adjusting himself, the rock-human heard the axles of the car creak under his great weight.

"Too bad we don't have some kind of Fantasti-Car," Sam threw in, leaning back in her seat.

"Maybe the scientists can give us a ride home," Carly suggested, trying to make everything better. Spencer sighed, and exited his car.

"He's been really down lately," Freddie said to Sam, scratching the back of his head.

"Wouldn't you be?" Sam replied, hoping Carly couldn't hear. The brunette boy nodded, and watched the young man wave over a team of doctors. "I just hope the three of us are done changing."

Freddie flicked his fingers, and saw his pointer finger light on fire. "I can get used to this," the boy jokingly said.

"Yeah, but what if the fire never stops?" the blond girl pointed out. Freddie put out his fire. "But...at least you're hot for awhile." Sam walked towards the doctors, leaving the boy confused and blushing intensely. However, the fear of his fire never going out remained on his mind.

Carly walked behind the others, not able to help but feel responsible for her brother. "Sam," the brunette called. Carly then stretched out her arm, grabbed her friend's shoulder, and gently pulled her back.

"What?" Sam asked, caught off guard.

"Spencer's taking it pretty hard still, isn't he?" Carly asked. The blond nodded. "I promise you...I will find a cure." Sam gave a quick nod, and kept walking. _This is all my fault, _the brunette confessed to herself.

The four watched as the armored car sped past the scattered brush and rocks, then the trees and buildings. Freddie held his hands over his mouth in a cupped position. Sam noticed smoke streaming out from his fingers. "Whatter you doing, Torch?" she asked.

"Condensing my fire," Freddie answered, not looking up from his work. "Getting creative with it."

"Do you have to do that in a car?" Sam asked, a smile forming on her face.

"Don't worry, I'm in control," the brunette confidently answered. "...Hey, you wanna try something?"

"Sure, what?" the blond replied. Sam walked over to Freddie, feeling safe to move freely.

"Okay," Freddie said, forming an orb of fire in his palm. "Can you try to seal this in a force field?" Sam nodded, outstretched her hands, closed her eyes, and focused on the fire. Suddenly, a bubble formed around the ball, distorting it. "Not too tight...You'll suffocate it."

"Got it," Sam replied, letting up on her mental grip. The girl focused her power upward, creating a funnel and manipulating the flow of the fire. Freddie let out an impressed, blown away breath. Sam started laughing too. "Looks like our powers go good together." Freddie felt his heart start to flutter but pound. The boy clenched his fist, putting the fire out. "Wow," he said, barely able to keep a straight face.

Sam smiled, then closed her mouth, as if telling Freddie something. "You know, Sam," the brunette said. "I've been wanting to tell you...thanks for giving me my first kiss back then."

"Thank you," Sam replied, her voice weak. "...I-I'm glad it was you." Freddie felt his defenses drop, as did Sam. The two leaned in together, and kissed one another on their lips. Freddie felt Sam's cool intensity flow through his entire body, and Sam felt a fire that Freddie must experience every minute of his life now. This was how they wanted it to be, they knew. They were more than they were before...

Carly stared out the window, listening to the wind flow by. "It's not your fault," Spencer said, breaking the silence. "...You were just trying to help. Don't blame yourself, okay?" Carly shook her head, not looking up. "We're fantastic...thanks to you."

"You were before," Carly replied. "Thank you, though." The brunette glanced in the rear-view mirror, and saw Freddie and Sam kissing. _At least they're happy, _she thought, smiling inside.

Red, blood-shot eyes glared at the boy and the girl on a computer screen in a dark room. Clenching his fists, Nevel ordered his robots to take a snapshot, then turned his attention to Spencer and Carly. The rock-human was obviously taking being a monster hard, and his sister was still guilty. After all, she was amazing, and her brother was hideous. "Release it," the boy ordered, his voice muffled and deepened due to his metal mask. "Now!" Responding to their master's order, several machines began to prepare the robot Nevel had designed to test out his new foes.

The armored car drove into Seattle, and was forced to swerve off into the left lane. Fortunately, there was no oncoming traffic, and the vehicle merely smashed a public mail box. "What was that?" Sam demanded, letting the force field she created around herself and Freddie.

"Something just blew up in the middle of the road," Spencer answered. "Looks like someone's on a rampage. You guys, stay here."

"We're a team, Spencer," Sam replied, getting up. "We work together."

"Seconded," Freddie added, getting out of his seat. Carly stood up, and the four walked onto the road.

"Whoa," Carly exclaimed. Standing before the Fantastic Four was a tall machine that weighed nearly three hundred pounds (judging by the dents it left in the road), and was about twice as bulky as the armored vehicle the group was riding in.

"Fantastic Four," Sam called out, continuing her role as self-pronounced leader. "Divide and conquer!" With that order, the group separated, and began assaulting the machine; Carly wrapped her elastic arms around the machine's optic sensors as Spencer crushed its legs. "Flame on!" Freddie yelled before being engulfed in fire, and taking off into the air. "Carly...it looks like its neck is an opening...Pull out!" The boy shot a ball of fire into the robot's neck, accidentally scorching Carly. Letting out a shriek, the girl withdrew her arms

"Everyone, fall back!" Sam ordered, holding her arms out towards the machine. An orb formed around the machine's head, and began to close in. Tensing up her face, the girl fought through the growing strain on her mind, and smashed the robot's head like an empty soda can.

With a great thud, the robot fell to the ground, shattering the sidewalk into rubble. "What the heck was that thing?" Spencer asked, dusting off his rough shoulder.

"I think we've seen just about everything now," Freddie added. "Carly, I'm sorry. Is your arm okay?"

"Yeah," the brunette answered, looking at her arm, which maintained no visible form of a burn. A small cut Carly noticed began to seal itself with several strands of flesh. "No blood or anything," the teen declared, her voice dreamy and surprised. Suddenly, a mechanical screech tore through the air, and the machine rose back onto its ravaged legs. "...That thing's obviously being controlled from another source. Maybe if we tear it up enough, it'll just die."

"Good plan," Sam replied. "I'll focus on the upper body with Freddie. You and Spencer work on the lower body." With a vicious grinding sound, a fleet of low-scale rockets ejected from the robot's chest, and were blocked by an invisible force field. Letting out a yell of pain, the girl felt herself grow light-headed, then collapse.

"Sam!" Freddie screamed. Swallowed by rage, the boy swooped at the robot, and began circling it; his fire spreading, Freddie watched as the machine's exterior warp and begin to melt.

"Freddie!" Carly called, feeling her entire body start to ache. "Freddie, stop it!" However, the fire covered everything, not allowing Freddie to even think straight.

Reluctantly, Spencer caught the boy's burning leg, and threw him into the ground. "Ah!" Freddie yelped. "What was that?"

"It's done!" Spencer screamed, his gruff voice echoing. "You're acting like an idiot. You can't be so reckless with your powers."

"I'm sorry," Freddie snarled, walking over to Sam. "I just got upset...Sam, are you okay?"

"Yeah," the blond answered, getting up by her own power instead of with Freddie's hand. "Just got lightheaded for a second. Not completely used to my powers yet, I guess."

The Four looked at the ruins of the machine laying on the ground. "Whatever that thing is...it won't be a problem anymore," Carly declared.

"Where'd it come from?" Spencer asked, regaining his composure.

Realizing her mistake, Carly grew shamed. "There's no way of finding out now," she said, sounding depressed. "Thanks to my stupid plan."

"It's my fault," Sam replied, still groggy from the ordeal. "I wasn't thinking. Guess I'm not a fit leader after all."

"Hey, I'm the one who went nuts out there," Freddie said, trying to help everyone else.

"And I really didn't deposit anything either," Spencer added. "If it's anyone's fault, it's this dumb lug."

"Don't talk about yourself like that!" Carly snapped. "This whole thing is my fault!"

"I'm not a fit leader," Sam threw in. "All this is on me!"

"Sam, it's all my fault," Freddie argued.

"Maybe we're just not a team after all," Spencer said, feeling sorry for himself above all. "Just some stupid kids who got powers." The young man walked away, Carly went another way, too upset with her mistake to think straight, and Sam and Freddie went down to the Groovy Smoothie together.

"You have failed the trial, Fantastic Four," Nevel happily declared, still observing Spencer with his Microbots. "United you stand...but divided...you will bend to my desires." The young man clenched his metal-laced fists in dark pleasure.


End file.
